The root systems of maize with tillers

--B. H. Choe, Y. W. Seo and H. B. Lee

The root systems of maize with tillers have not been fully understood. We assumed that the maize with tillers should have different root systems from the ordinary non-tillering maize. Dr. Wellhausen (personal com.) has also mentioned the possibly different root systems of maize with tillers. In order to find out if the maize with tillers has different root systems, we dug out the roots of tillered maize, and found that each tiller of tillered maize has its own root system as shown in Figure 2-a and 2-b.

Fig. 2. Tillered maize showing root systems. 2-a : Before tillers were removed. 2-b : After tillers were removed.
 

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